Blade dispensing magazine



June 30, 1953 v. R. BAILEY BLADE DISPENSING MAGAZINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed .Oct. 2, 1948 I J) L. L

June 30, 1953 v. BAILEY I 2,543,763

BLADE DISPENSING MAGAZINE Filed Oct. 2, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,ZizzJenzZor yam/ June 30, 1953 v. R. BAILEY BLADE DISPENSING MAGAZINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 2, 1949 A Z .0 z A0: 5; m r r 4 .l F D, m W y .0 w E 2 /q M F n a n f u m 2 M L u 3 M T u w j J, a

a n F z 8 Fl-u h I 3 G W E a Patented June .30, 1953 BLADE DISPENSING MAGAZINE Vincent R. Bailey, Chestnut Hill, .Mass assignor to The Gillette Company, a corporation of Dela- Ware Application October 2, 1948, Serial No. 52,541

10 Claims. l

This invention relates to an improved blade dispensing magazine which is designed to receive a stack of unwrapped double-edged razor blades and to provide for a novel blade handling cycle of movements by means of which alternately disposed blades may be removed from the uppermost side of the stack and selectively moved into a guided dispensing position at one extremity of the magazine.

It is a general object of the invention to improve methods of packaging and dispensing unwrapped double-edged razor blades and to provide means for carrying out a simplified, rapid and positive transfer of unwrapped blades from' a dispensing magazine to a razor in one continuous operation. Another object of the invention is to provide a dynamic blade packaging arrangement in which a stack of bare blades is held in a stressed state such that the cutting edges are at all times protectively held in a very simple and inexpensive form of magazine and yet successive blades may be automatically forced upwardly into a raised position where they can be instantly and positively separated from remaining blades of the stack, making use of the energy inherent in flexed blade members.

The-invention is also concerned with the problem of dispensing a limited number of thin double-edged razor blades utilizing a compact-magazine from which the blades are to be extracted at one end only, and having in mind further the requirement that each dispensed blade should leave the magazine in a position to facilitate transfer of the blade directly into or on the blade holding portion of a razor.

The blade magazine of the invention offers one desirable arrangement for meeting the requirements noted by combining With a suitable casing a stack of blades arranged one upon another in alternately and oppositelyoverlapping relation to present respective blades which may be herein termed front and rear blades. The stack may be supported at its under side by a curved spring which resiliently urges central portions of the stack upwardly while opposite ends of the stack are forced against the case and blade depressor elements, with the result that the blades are caused to assume a bowed shape. Under the stress thus exerted and maintained, each'blade in the stack is resiliently urged against an immediately overlying blade and intermediate overlapping ends of the blades seek to fan out into separated relation.

An important feature of the invention is the combination with the above described blade as- 2 sembly of a movable latch located in the base of the casing in a position to project upwardly through slotted overlapping sections of the rear blades. When a front blade is uppermost in the stack, the latch can be positioned to releasably hold the free end of this blade and all underlying ones. If on the other hand, a rear blade is uppermost in the stack, the latch may be caused to assume an inoperative position with all underlying blades being held down by the rear blade while it is lying in contact with its depressor element.

Also included'with the overlapping blade and latch arrangement described is a flexible slide member formed at its under side with a blade advancing element and arranged for reciprocating movement along the casing in a position such that a free end of an uppermost blade will at one point or another extend into the path of movement of the slide in a position to be engaged by it. The engaged blade is transferred by the slide from a stacked position into a guided posi--- tion at the end of the magazine in which the blade is alined and supported in a plane substantially parallel to the top of the magazine.

Another desirable feature in the combination described is a latch engaging surface recessed in the blade advancing element to provide a narrow passageway through which the latch may pass. This surface is constructed and arranged with reference to the height of the latch so that the flexible slide on moving forwardly may yield sufficiently to readily pass over the head of the latch, while on the release stroke of the slide the latch may be pivoted rearwardly and thus disengaged from an underlying front blade.

Provision is also made for independently maintaining ends of rearblades in a depressed position while the latch is in an inoperative position. This additional feature is achieved by the above noted blade depressing elements which have recessed blade holding edges for receiving reduced ends of rear blades. These recessed edges serve to hold the ends of rear blades at a relatively low level in the casing while the slide is advancing a front blade. Cooperating with these depressor elements is a blade retracting member located on the rear side of the slide in a position to engage with and retract blades from under the depressor elements as the slide moves into an advanced forward position. The retracted rear blade is thus guided into a positionwhere it can be engaged by the slide on its next forward movement.

These and other objects and novel features 3 will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the magazine of the invention with blades in position to start a dispensing cycle of movement and further indicating the slide removed from the magazine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view further illustrating a blade and case assembly similar to that shown in Fi "1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the magazine and slide with the latter member in position to disengage the latch from the stack of blades;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a further step of moving the slide rearwardly to disengage the latch and release a front blade;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the slide as it advances the released blade shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the slide in a more advanced position and further showing a retracting element on the slide coming into engagement with the next underlying blade in the stack;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a further position assumed by the blade and slide shown in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the slide as it moves rearwardly over the head of the latch and further indicating the blade and latch in an intermediate locked position;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating the slide in position to begin its second forward movement to dispense the uppermost rear blade;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the case with blades entirely removed and further illustrating the several blade holding elements in the case;

Fig. 12' is a cross section taken on the line l2l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a detail plan view of the slide member; and

Fig. "14 is an end elevational View of the slide.

The form of blade magazine shown in the drawings is designed primarily for use in merchandising an appreciable number of blades and although not limited to any specific number, is especially suited for containing and dispensing a stack of at least ten blades of the double-edged type noted above. In general, it is intended that the magazine may be utilized as a dispensing unit by means of which a blade may be selectively detached from a stack of blades and moved out of the magazine into a position where the blade may be grasped by the fingers or directly hooked over the blade holding projections of a razor blade holder. It is further intended, however, that the magazine may be employed as a translating member to provide for a guided dispensing or blade ejecting action, in which the finally ejected blade is located in a partly suspended and alined position at the end of the magazine. From this position there may be carried out when desired a transfer of the blade fromthe magazine into various types of blade locating devices or directly onto a razor blade holding portion.

The blade handling members included in the structure shown in the drawings are supported by a rectangular casing which as suggested in the drawings is open at either end. It may be desired to use the rectangular casing in this uncovered form or it may be found more desirable in some instances to surround the entire casing with an outer printed wrapper or jacket formed of paper, cellophane or similar material. An essential provision in the general organization of the component parts is means for protecting the blades and maintaining the double cutting edges of these elements in a shielded position at all times during their storage and removal from the magazine. This protection is achieved to a great extent by employing a casing whose width is substantially greater than the width of any one of the blades so that the cutting edges at all times may lie in spaced relation to the two opposite inner surfaces of the casing.

Thus in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, numeral 2 denotes a magazine case of appreciably greater width than the width of the blades it is to contain and which may be made of materials such as light metals, plastics, and the like. The case is formed with an open front end to provide a blade ejecting aperture 3, and at its upper side is constructed with transverse inturned flanges or edges 6 and 8 which are spaced apart to provide a slideway along which a slide 10 may be moved back and forth. Stop members l2 and I4 limit movement of the slide in either direction of the casing as suggested in Fig. 2.

As will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 1, the slide ID extends across the top of the case and is provided with U-shaped retaining edges l6 and 18 which are adapted to slidably engage around the top sides and bottom of the case and allow the slide to be moved forwardly and rearwardly as desired. The upper side of slide it] is formed with a slightly depressed mid-section as shown in Fig. 14, which is designed to enable the upper side of the slide to be flexed upwardly when subjected to forces directed against its under surface.

Fixed on the under surface of slide I0 is a blade advancing element 20 presenting vertical blade engaging surfaces extending downwardly well below the under surfaces of the transverse edges 6 and 8. The blade advancing element is constructed of a width slightly less than the width of the slideway' defined by the transverse edges 6 and 8 so that the side edges of the element 20 may be received and guided by the transverse edges when the slide is reciprocated along the case. The mid-section of the blade advancing element 20 is further recessed to provide a passageway defined by the relieved surface 24, the purpose of which will be discussed more fully at a later point in the specification. Surface 24 extends rearwardly and upwardly of theelement 20 to merge generally with the under side of the slide it] as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. At the rear central portion of the slide I0 is a blade retracting element 26 consisting of a hook-like projection extending vertically downwardly to a point just below the under surface of the transverse edges 6 and 8.

The stack of slotted blades shown in Fig. l of the drawings comprises a novel blade arrangement in which forwardly and rearwardly disposed blades are superimposed one upon another in alternately and oppositely overlapped relation to provide a series of projecting blade ends at either end of the stack. Those blades whose projecting ends lie nearest to the blade ejecting define the median slots.

' aperture 4 of the magazine are conveniently :referred to as front blades while the remaining blades are referred to as rear blades.

Each blade isheld in itsrespec-tive overlapping position in the stack by means of two centering ribs 28 and 30 mounted in the bottom of the casing in longitudinally spaced relation to one another as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The .cen-

tering ribs are of a t-hicknessslightly less than the width of a median slot in any one of the blades so that the ribs may pass through the slots and hem contact with the blade edges which It will also be noted that the height of the ribs 28 and 30 is chosen so that these members terminate at a level slightly below the under surfaces of the transverse edges 6 and 8 as indicated in Fig. 3 for example. Blades are assembled about the-centering ribs in an alternative manner with the first blade in the stack passing over both ribs while the next blade is engaged over only one centering rib. This procedure is repeated until a desired number of blades are stacked.

The blades are further secured in the casing by presser mechanism which resiliently supports the stack from below along its intermediate portions and which engages against the projecting blade ends forcing them into a bent over or flexed position from which they seek to fan out and spring upwardly. As one suitable means of stressing the intermediate overlapping portions of the blades, there has been shown a curved spring 32 which is interposed between the bottom blade in the stack and the base of the casing and which is preferably formed with a slotted mid-section enabling the spring to straddle the two centering ribs 28 and 30 as noted in Fig. 11. The curved formation of the spring functions to force the stack upwardly about the centering ribs 28 and 30.

Projecting ends of the front blades are pre vented from springing upwardly beyond a limited distance by the transverse edges 6 and 8 of the casing as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. At the other extremity of the stack the projecting ends of the rear blades are held down by means of two depressor members 34 located at the rear of the easing and lying in spaced relation in a position to receive therebetween'the reduced ends of the rear blades as shown in Fig. 2. Relatively wider portions of th blades lying just in back of the cutting edges are engaged under the recessed edges 38 of the depressor members. The recessed edges 38, more clearly shown in Fig. 11, extend forwardly and upwardly a short distance, then rise abruptly in a vertical direction and finally slope forwardly and upwardly again to provide a pair of inclined blade guiding surfaces 60 (Figs.

3 and 11), which intersect the under sides of the transverse edges 6 and 8.

Centrally located on the casing between the depressor members 34 and the centering rib 28 in spaced relation to each of these members is a boss 42 in which is pivotally mounted a latch member id. Th latch projects upwardly through slotted portions of the rear blades in a position just in back of the reduced ends of the front blades. A hook-like'projection is formed at the upper extremity of the latch, designed for engagement over the reduced end of a front blade in the manner shown in Fig. 1, when the latch is in an upright position. The height of the latch is chosen such that the head of the latch projects slightly above the lower edge of blade advancing element and also rises above the lowermost portion'of the inclined surfaces 40.

The elements described are made use of to .secure theblades in the stack as shown in Fig. 1, and to move the blades into various positions which have been illustrated in Figs. 4-10 inclusive. Starting with the uppermost blade appearing in the stack of Fig. 1, which may conveniently be designated as front blade 2$, it will be seen that the forward end of this blade is supported against the under side of the transverse edges 6 and 8 While the opposite end of this blade is engaged by the latch 44'. Assuming that the slide it is in its normal starting position at the extreme left-hand side of the casing as shown in Fig. 2, the first operation is to disengage the latch l lfrom blade 46. This is achieved by holding theslide between the thumb and forefinger and advancing it toward the right along the casing. As the slide moves forwardly the blade advancing element 26 comes into contact with the latch 44 which is locked against the blade 46, and the rounded head of the latch engagesagainst the relieved surface 24. Further forward movement of the slide causes the relieved surface 24 to slide up over the latch with the depressed mid-section of the slide yielding slightly to facilitate this operation, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

As soon as the blade advancing member passes over the latch, the direction of movement of the slide is reversed and the opposite side of the blade advancing element is brought into contact with the latch. The latter member being unsupported at its rear side is rocked backwardly, thus disengaging the blade 46.

Immediately upon being released by the latch, the free end of blade 46 in response to the stress exerted on it by an underlying blade springs upwardly against the under surfaces 01; the transverse edges, assuming the position illustrated in Fig. 5. At this point the latch is in an inoperative position loosely supported in its bearing. It will be noted also from an inspection of Fig. 5 that the vertical blade engaging surfaces 22 on the feed slide occur directly in back of the reduced end of blade 46 and extending well below the edge of the blade in a position to strike against it upon forward movement of the slide. Fig. 6 shows the slide engaged with the blade in a partly advanced position in which it will be seen that the relieved surface 24 on the blade advancing element has come into contact with the top edge of centering rib, and the slide together with the retracting element '26 has been raised above the transverse edges although the vertical blade engaging edges still remain in contact with the blade.

Fig. '7 illustrates a further position assumed by blade 46 just after it has passed out of contact with an immediately underlying rear blade 48.

It is pointed out that as soon as blade 46 is moved out of contact with blade 48, the forward end of the latter blade moves upwardly against the transverse edges 6 and 8 into the path of movement of the retracting element 26 on slide H3. The blade 46 is thus presented in a substantially alined position at the end of the magazine and may conveniently be hooked over the blade holding portion of a razor without the blade coming into contact with the fingers. This operation'of transferring a blade from the magazine to a razor may also be facilitated by providing an elongated slot 56 in the base of the casing as has been suggested in Fig. 11. The slot serves as a convenient aperture for receiving the blade holding portions of a razor, thus enabling the *magazine to be fitted snugly against the razor end of blade 48.

- in a position in which a dispensed .blade may be instantly dropped into place.

Fig. 8 illustrates the slide ID in a fully advanced position lying against the stops l2. In this position the retracting element 26 has drawn the blade 48 forwardly and its opposite end has become disengaged from the recessed edges of the depressor members and raised up into position to rest against lowermost portions of the inclined surfaces 40. It should be noted that in this position the blade 48 is supported at a level slightly below the top of the latch 44 and since the blade can move no higher at this point, the next underlying blade becomes interlocked with the latch which has in turn been raised into a vertical position by the movement of the reduced In the relative position described, the latch member is thus prevented from being tipped rearwardly during the return movement of the slide it. since the latch in this case cannot be rocked rearwardly, the relieved surface 24 of the blade advancing element slides back over the top of the latch with the flexible slide bending upwardly to facilitate this movement. Fig. 9 illustrates the slide in a position directly above the top of the latch, more clearly indicating the flexing action which takes place in the slide as the return movement of this memher is completed.

In Fig. 10 the slide is illustrated in a starting position ready to advance and engage against the rear end of blade 48 which is positioned at a level where the vertical blade engaging surfaces on the slide in can readily come into contact therewith. The slide and blade 48 are thereafter advanced with the blade 48 sliding up over the top of the latch and with the latch member 44 remaining in engagement with the next underlying front blade to hold the stack in the same relative position as it was at the beginning of I the cycle illustrated in Fig. 1.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail illustrative embodiments thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A blade dispensing package comprising a case, blade centering ribs centrally alined in the case one ahead of another, and located in spaced apart relation, a stack of overlapping perforated blades disposed on the blade centering ribs, spring means straddling the blade centering ribs and interposed between the case and the under side of the stack for urging blades at one end I only of the stack into resilient contact with the case, depressor means within the case holding blades only at an opposite end of the stack bent into a curve and in spaced relation to the case, a latch movable to release alternate blades at said opposite end of the stack, and a movable slide having a blade-engaging portion located to engage and eject the released blades and another portion located to engage and release the next gage with the front blades, the latch presenting "an upper extremity projecting into the path of movement of the slide and operating to release front blades in response to movement of the slide in one direction, and a blade advancing element for engaging released blades and ejecting them from the case.

3. A razor blade magazine comprising in combination a case having a blade dispensing opening at one end, the upper side of the case presenting longitudinal guide edges spaced apart transversely to define a slideway, a reciprocating slide mounted in the slideway, a stack of alternately and oppositely overlapping perforated blades in the magazine, resilient blade-supporting means and depressor member cooperating to hold the blade stack in curved condition with one end 7 against said guide edges, a ivoted latch movable to en age alternate blades of the stack and hold them in curved condition, and contact faces on the slide for releasing the latch when the slide moves in one direction and for disengaging a blade. from said depressor members when the slide moves in the other direction preparatory to ejecting the blades one after the other.

4. A blade dispensing package comprising a container having a stack of slotted and cornernotched blades arranged one upon another in alternating relation to present a series of forwardly disposed blades and a series of rearwardly disposed blades, depressor members located in the container in a position to engage against reduced ends of the rearwardly disposed blades, a curved spring member interposed between the container and the stack of blades and resiliently urging one end of the stack against the container and the opposite end of the stack against the blade depressor members, a latch member in the container projecting upwardly through the rearwardly disposed blades, the latch being adapted in one position to releasably engage reduced ends of the forwardly disposed blades, a slide mounted for'movement along one side of the container, a blade advancing element secured at the under side of the slide and having a latchway formed therein for the purpose of receiving and guiding the latch into and out of engagement with the blades.

5. A casing having a stack of slotted blades arranged in alternately and oppositely overlapping relation to present front and rear blades, the stack being held at its ends and resiliently stressed at its central overlapping blade portions,

, the stack being held at its ends and resiliently stressed at its central overlapping blade portions, a reciprocating slide mounted on the casing and including a blade advancing element projecting downwardly from an under side thereof, a latch in the casing having a contact surface engaged in the movement of the slide and operated thereby to selectively release front blades into the path of movement of the blade advancing element and blade retracting means forming a part of the slide for moving the rear blades into a dispensing position.

'7. A casing provided with blade centering rib portions, a stack of blades arranged on the blade centering rib portions in alternately and oppositely overlapping relation to present respective front and rear blades, ends of the front blades lying in contact with the upper side of the casing, depressor elements fixed in the casing for holding ends of the rear blades in spaced relation to the upper side of the case, a spring member for resiliently stressing the stack at central overlapping portions, a reciprocating slide mounted in the casing and including a blade advancing element at the under side thereof, a latch pivotally mounted in the casing and operating in response to movement of the slide to release a front blade into the path of movement of the blade advancing element, blade retracting means on the slide for simultaneously disengaging a rear blade from the depressor elements and moving the disengaged rear blade into a dispensing position.

8. A casing formed with two spaced apart blade centering ribs, a stack of blades arranged on the ribs in alternately and oppositely overlapping relation to present respective front and rear blades, nds of the front blades lying in contact with the upper side of the casing, depressor elements fixed in the casing for holding ends of the rear blades in spaced relation to the upper side of the casing, a spring member for resiliently stressing the stack at its central overlapping portions, a reciprocating lide mounted on the casing and including a blade advancing element at the under side thereof, a latch pivotally mounted in the casing and projecting through the rear blades of the stack, the latch operating in response to movement of the slide to release a front blade into the path of movement of the blade advancing element, blade retracting means on th slide for simultaneously disengaging a rear blade from the depressor elements and moving the disengaged blade into contact with the latch, and mean consisting of inclined surfaces on the depressor elements for holding the disengaged rear blade interlocked with the latch during rearward travel of the slide.

9. A casing having a stack of blades arranged in alternately and oppositely overlapping relation to present respective front and rear blades,

' depressor members for holding the stack at one end, means for urging the stack against the depressor members and casing, a reciprocating slide mounted on the casing and including a blade advancing element at the under side thereof, a latch pivotally mounted in the casing andextending upwardly between respective reduced ends of front and rear blades, the latch normally engaging over the uppermost front blade and having a contact surface engaged in the movement of the slide in a rearward direction and operated thereby to release said uppermost front blade into the path of movement of the blade advancing element, blade retracting means located at the back of the slide for disengaging a rear blade from the depressor members, guide means for holding the disengaged rear blade in interlocking relation with the latch during rearward travel of the slide, the guide means including a pair of upwardly extending surfaces which are a continuation of the depressor members.

10. A razor blade magazine comprising an elongated casing, a stack of slotted blades arranged in longitudinally staggered relation in the casing, a spring beneath the stack normally urging it upwardly, a fixed depressor and a movable latch located in the casing and respectively depressing alternat blades at the same end of the stack, and a feed slide movable along the top of the casing and having a portion movable in a path so as to engage and releas the latch to release the uppermost blade held thereby and another portion movable in a path so as to engage I and eject the released blade and having a third portion for engaging and releasing a blade from said depressor.

VINCENT R. BAILEY.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

